PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
London, United Kingdom, 2010/05/12 - Companies across the world have significantly changed their way of undertaking business on a day-to-day basis, since the beginning of the economic crisis. Limited travel budgets have impelled companies to seek new means of communication and collaboration.

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The reduction in the number of regular in-person meetings has given rise to innovative tools that enable companies to build and consolidate business relations while saving time and money. Videoconferencing has proved to be a viable solution for companies that are reducing their travel expenditure, thereby boosting the European videoconferencing endpoints market growth.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (conferencing.frost.com), European Videoconferencing Endpoints Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $383.6 million in 2009 and estimates this to reach $1.03 billion in 2015 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.0 per cent. The visual collaboration endpoints covered in this research are group systems and executive desktop systems videophones (HD/SD).

The major growth factors of the videoconferencing endpoints market in Europe include the need for companies to decrease travel expenses, search for alternative ways to meet their workers and clients and the stringent environment policies imposed by the European Parliament. Additionally, videoconferencing is stepping up the decision-making process and enhancing teamwork in the more-than-ever dispersed workforce.

"The videoconferencing endpoints market has been witnessing a slow transformation in the recent years, largely attributed to the introduction of high-quality products, such as high-definition conferencing and telepresence, the market’s shift towards converged audio, video and web conferencing solutions, and integration with other existing collaborative applications," states Iwona Petruczynik, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst.

However, the European videoconferencing endpoints market is restrained by several factors. For example, the misconception that videoconferencing services are communications tools used only by large enterprises is hindering the adoption among small and medium businesses. Moreover, new communications and collaboration vendors are delivering videoconferencing as a part of a unified solution, creating a one-stop-shop for their customers; however, this is hampering the growth of standalone videoconferencing providers. Poor infrastructure and low bandwidth, especially in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), also have adverse effects on the videoconferencing endpoints market growth.

"The two main challenges with which the market is constantly battling are – the long-standing belief that videoconferencing is a complicated tool, reserved only for the top level management in large enterprises, and the rise of unified communications (UC), where audio, web, and video-conferencing tools are converging," says Petruczynik.

Overcoming the first barrier is a constant challenge for vendors. However, with the recession spurring the growth of videoconferencing, these collaboration tools and their benefits have been brought to the fore, especially their increasing ease of use. Videoconferencing vendors should be able to proactively address their clients’ needs and evolve constantly in this market. The trend of shifting towards UC is leading to an increased attention to the adoption and usage of visual collaboration in business.

"The rough economic climate that is promoting the importance of reducing expenditure, is creating a greater awareness about visual collaboration among enterprises," notes Petruczynik. "A vast number of conferencing service providers and equipment vendors are developing visual collaboration systems capabilities as a one-stop-shop for their clients."

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an email to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska[.]frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, and the contact details.

European Videoconferencing Endpoints Market is part of the Conferencing & Collaboration Growth Partnership Services programme, which also includes research in the following markets: visual collaboration, communication services, and enterprise communications. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan
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